


Not Who You Think

by EntreNous



Series: Only Glimpses: Spirk Ficlets [1]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Academy Era, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, First Meetings, M/M, Stand Alone, Teen Jim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-22
Updated: 2015-04-22
Packaged: 2018-03-25 06:31:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3800386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EntreNous/pseuds/EntreNous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a few days into the Academy recruitment program's summer session, Jim shows up for a mentoring session with Spock.  The only trouble is, he's not the one Spock's supposed to be mentoring.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Who You Think

**Author's Note:**

> Written over at [my tumblr](http://entrenous88.tumblr.com) for the prompt "Teen Spirk". I've obviously played with that a bit, as Jim is the only teenager in this ficlet. This is the first in a series of my Spirk ficlets (all generally under 1,000 words and intended as stand alones). I debated doing a multi-chaptered work to hold all of them, but in the end this seemed like the best solution to avoid a hellaciously long tags list and keep separate things separate. Check me out at tumblr to watch for when I open prompts, blather about writing, and for general fangirling (mostly Star Trek stuff of course, because I have excellent taste). :D

When Jim Kirk pushed open the door and half-skidded into the office, the Vulcan seated rigidly at the large desk turned to regard him with a severe expression.

"You are...Doctor Leonard McCoy," the man announced rather than asked, eyes flicking down to consult the PADD he held in his hand. 

Jim swallowed, leaning against the door frame, and tried to think of a way to answer that wouldn't get him and Bones into a ton of trouble. "Hey there, Instructor, uh," he managed to get out in between panting hard. 

"You may address me as Instructor Spock." He regarded Jim sternly, like shortness of breath was a grave character flaw. Definitely not the kind of guy to understand Bones couldn't make it to their arranged appointment -- even if Jim explained in detail about how Bones unexpectedly had to place an emergency video-comm to his lawyer about his soon-to-be-ex-wife's newest custody-fight shenanigans. 

"I probably look pretty young to be a doctor," Jim offered when the pause stretched out and Spock's gaze scanned him over once again. He nearly slapped a hand over his mouth as soon as he blurted it ( _way to sell it, Jim_ ). But he had to say _something_ to cover if he wanted to convince anyone he was Doctor Leonard McCoy. Despite what the I.D. he showed to San Francisco bartenders claimed about his age, in a well-lit room in the middle of the day he was pretty obviously around eighteen. 

Spock tilted his head to the side. "I, too, am considered young in both Terran and Vulcan estimations for the degree of advancement I have attained. Your age is not a concern for the purposes of this interaction."

Jim couldn't help grinning at him. "So you're a total prodigy too, huh?"

Spock arched an eyebrow at him. "Is it always your practice to speak so irreverently to your superiors?"

"Um. Kind of? But yeah, okay. Sorry, sir," Jim said. "Lieutenant," he added when Spock's other eyebrow rose to meet the first, gesturing to the braids on Spock's Starfleet uniform. "I'm still getting used to all this saluting and formality and stuff. I bet I'm not the only one; the Academy recruitment program's summer session just started last week for everyone, right?"

Spock examined him with such intense scrutiny that Jim actually cast about for other random reasons to apologize just to appease the guy. Not that he actually gave a shit what this instructor thought of his professionalism, because screw that. Jim definitely hadn't made up his mind if he wanted to do the whole career in space thing that Christopher Pike seemed adamant was his birthright. But that's what this summer was for, right? Pike trying to convince Jim to join up, and Jim getting as far away from Iowa as he could without actually stowing away on an interplanetary freighter. He didn't much care if he had the most awesome summer ever; he just wanted a break from his mom's worried looks and Frank's scornful mutterings about Jim's sucky prospects.

Still, Jim owed it to Bones to try to make nice, even if he'd only asked Jim to explain why he couldn't make the meeting instead of impersonating him. "Turn on the charm, laugh at all the guy's stupid jokes, widen those pretty blue eyes of yours when you make my excuses. I don't care what you have to do, but keep me from getting kicked out, okay?" Bones had growled when he'd shoved Jim out of his dorm room. Really, he'd pretty much given Jim full rein to do whatever, right?

Jim leaned against the door and flashed Spock the kind of dazzling smile that had gotten him out of a whole mess of tricky jams. Come to think of it, he wouldn't mind at all if it turned out Vulcans were susceptible to his brand of charm, not only to make sure "Bones" made a good impression, but because the guy was stupidly gorgeous. If Jim had met him in a bar instead of on campus while pretending to be an irascible southern doctor with a heart of gold, he would absolutely have asked Spock if he wanted to get out of here by now. The whole stoic thing totally got to Jim; he couldn't resist thinking about exactly what he'd try to get this guy to let loose.

And maybe it was working just a teeny bit, because Spock was kind of staring at his mouth. Jim smiled wider.

"Very well," Spock said at last. "Be seated, and we will begin your mentoring session."

Jim nodded and hurried to take the free chair on the other side of the desk. He skimmed one hand over the desktop and had to bite back another smile when Spock's eyes immediately shifted to his fingers. Everyone knew that hand stuff was total Vulcan-bait. If he played his cards right and it turned out that this Spock was into the whole mentoring thing on other levels besides just the boring academic one? Then maybe Jim was looking at a pretty amazing summer after all.


End file.
